


Through His/Your Eyes

by nip-the-cat (venom_for_free), otayuriistheliteralbest



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Camping, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, Happy Ending, M/M, Otabek is a musician, Pining, Romance, Smut, Yuri is a Photographer, otayuri - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-10
Updated: 2020-10-10
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:54:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26930947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/venom_for_free/pseuds/nip-the-cat, https://archiveofourown.org/users/otayuriistheliteralbest/pseuds/otayuriistheliteralbest
Summary: Conventional College AU, Yuri is looking for models for his photography thesis and Otabek answers the ad. They run into each other again and again on campus, becoming friends and then turning into something more as the semester progresses. They have to steal moments alone together, much to the pair’s (sexual) frustration.
Relationships: Minor or Background Relationship(s), Otabek Altin/Yuri Plisetsky
Comments: 10
Kudos: 98
Collections: Superfan





	Through His/Your Eyes

**Author's Note:**

> This story is a fic-within-a-fic, written for @venom_for_free's Superfan fanfiction. The piece can be read as a standalone, but I HIGHLY recommend reading along with the larger collaborative fic as well! There is also artwork and cosplay in addition to the companion fanfics. Thank you for having me be a part of this project, venom!! <3
> 
> Thank you so much to venom, Tae, harky, and arya for beta'ing this for me! <3 Any remaining mistakes are my own.
> 
> While reading this, think about the fact that in-world, Otabek wrote this while pining for Yuri. ;) Art by @venom_for_free, "by" Yuri in-world.

* * *

Yuri slumped at his desk in the lecture hall, chin pressed against his hand as he barely listened to the guest professor drone on and on about stocks and corporations. He had zero interest in the subject and was glad his seat in the back of the hall allowed him to doodle in his journal. He was working on a new composite image series for his photography capstone, pulling magic into the real world. It was a delicate balance of grunge and fantasy that would test his film photography, composite, and graphic design skills. Plus, it’d look badass as fuck. He already had a few models lined up—he didn’t know all of them, other than Mila and her girlfriend Sara, but they’d responded to his flyer, and Yuri couldn’t turn down his limited options. 

The guest lecturer clapped his hands together, and Yuri jerked up, dragged back to reality.

“Well, that’s all for today. Thank you for your attention, and I look forward to reading your papers on Thursday.”

Yuri grimaced—at least Georgi would tell him what he’d missed—and bolted out the door at the back of the room as his classmates began to chatter and pick up their things.

* * *

“Raise your arm just another inch, Mila,” Yuri requested, squinting through the viewfinder of his grandpa’s old analog camera to check the angle. “Perfect, hold there and twist your hand slightly to the left. Imagine you’re holding a tree branch...or a beer bottle.”

Sara, holding Mila around the waist, giggled. Mila rolled her eyes but twisted her hand like Yuri had asked. Yuri tsked and stood away from the tripod.

“Not quite. Is it okay if I position you?”

Mila hummed her consent, and Yuri hopped up onto the dumpster they were sitting on. He carefully shifted Mila’s hand and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. She smiled at him in silent thanks. Mila and Sara were in the theatre department, and Yuri loved working with them because of their makeup skills and understanding of how to exude a character. He just told Mila “grunge fairy”, and she and Sara showed up in full airbrushed purples and greens and colored contacts, exactly the vision of the urban fairies he wanted. He could have kissed them if he weren’t entirely too gay for that. 

“I think we’re about finished here. I’ll let you know when I have the photos finished and if I need anything more from you.”

Mila hopped down from the dumpster and held out her hand to Sara, who wobbled slightly as her headpiece nearly fell to the ground. She grabbed it at the last second, laughing. 

“That’s what I get for putting this thing together at three in the morning. I should have tested it before we came for the shoot.”

Mila carefully helped her girlfriend unpin the intricate leafy crown from her head. “Don’t you worry, silly. It was beautiful.”

Yuri rolled his eyes and put his camera back in its case as they fiddled with their costumes. Sometimes the girls were a little too much, but he loved them. Not that he’d ever admit that to anyone but himself, unless he were very, _very_ drunk.

“So, Yuri,” Mila said, making him twist in his crouched position to look up at her. “Who else are you shooting?”

Yuri scratched his head and pulled up his email on his phone. “Three other people replied to my flier. I have Seung-gil, Christophe, and some guy named Otabek Altin.” He squinted up at the girls. “Do you know him?”

Mila tapped her cheek in thought. “His name sounds familiar, but I can’t remember what from. Maybe he was in one of my gen ed classes?”

Sara shrugged. “I have no idea. Seung-gil and Chris will be compelling, though. Are you shooting them together, like you did with us? Their aesthetics would make for an interesting contrast.”

“That was my plan. I think their senses of style are good enough that I’ll just give them a color scheme and style and they’ll be good to go. And I’m going to have Georgi do their makeup. Would one of you be free for my shoot with this Otabek guy? I scheduled him for next Saturday.” _And I’d rather not be alone with someone I don’t know_.

Mila shook her head. “Sorry, I have rehearsal all day Saturday for _A Midsummer Night’s Dream_. We’re opening in two weeks, and Yakov isn’t happy with some of our scenes still. Babe?” She turned and looked to Sara, who grimaced.

“Sorry, Yuri. I’m in a dance performance Michele is directing. You know my brother, I couldn’t say no!”

Yuri flashed the girls a wry grin. “You’re fine, don’t worry. It was worth a shot, anyway. I asked Otabek to send me a couple photos so I can get an idea of a good aesthetic for his shoot. I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

Mila and Sara waved goodbye and headed out, leaving Yuri to finish packing up his equipment.

The weekend rolled around and Otabek Altin still hadn’t messaged Yuri any photos. He was starting to get fed up and shot him a quick email asking for at least one photo so he could get an idea of what he was working with. An hour before the time they had scheduled to meet, the guy finally emailed him back with a link to his Instagram. Yuri clicked it, annoyance bubbling in his chest, and his brain short-circuited. Otabek’s Instagram page was filled with pictures of him working out in the gym, working on his motorcycle, and almost no pictures of his face. The one photo Yuri could find of Otabek’s face was in shadows, partially cut off from view. A curious smile spread across Otabek’s face, making Yuri wonder what he looked like. He spun his computer chair in circles, thinking as he tapped a pen against his cheek. Yuri nodded and swung back around to his laptop, shooting off a short response to his soon to be model.

_Otabek,_

_Meet me in the parking lot by the ravine and promise not to be a murderer._

_Yuri_

The reply came in almost instantly.

_No promises. I’m not if you’re not._

_O_

Yuri snorted, closed his laptop, and gathered his equipment from where he’d tossed it next to the bed the previous night, before heading out to the parking lot to get set up for the shoot. He didn’t have a car, so he was stuck to locations that were in walking or biking distance from his apartment, and he hated biking with his tripod and camera; he didn’t care if he got hit by a car, but he’d murder anyone who broke his equipment.

He got to the ravine fifteen minutes before the scheduled shoot and took the time to scout out the area not far from the parking lot. There was a wall covered in graffiti a short hike into the ravine that he’d love to shoot at sometime, but he didn’t want anyone else in his classes to find it; it had clearly been forgotten sometime in the last decade or so, and he intended to keep it that way. Although, if he thought he could trust this Otabek character, maybe they could shoot there.

The roar of a motorcycle broke through his thoughts, and Yuri turned to face the jackass, only to stop dead in his tracks. That was the same motorcycle he’d seen on the mysterious Otabek’s Instagram page. The guy was dressed in black jeans, tall leather boots, black leather jacket, and was wearing an infuriating helmet so that Yuri still couldn’t see his face. Everything was tight, and it was all Yuri could do to keep from salivating.

“Otabek Altin?” 

Otabek pulled off his helmet and ruffled his hair before giving Yuri a tentative smile and clipping his helmet in place on the bike. “That’s me. So, you planning on killing me in the ravine?”

Yuri was lost the moment the helmet came off and hadn’t heard Otabek’s response. _Fuck he’s hot. Why the hell did he hide his face on his Instagram page?_

Laughter broke Yuri back to the present. _Crap. Had he said that out loud? No use taking it back now…_

Otabek scratched behind his ear. “I haven’t actually thought about it before, to be honest. I’m really bad at taking selfies, I guess?”

Yuri rolled his eyes at this proclamation. “Sounds fake, but sure.” His heart really needed to stop beating so hard. He took a deep, centering breath. _I am a professional. I am the photographer. I can do this._ “Okay, so have you done any modeling before? I just want to get a feel for what your expectations are.”

Otabek shrugged, his muscles flexing under the tight grey shirt Yuri could see peeking through the front of the leather jacket. “I haven’t modeled before, but I had some free time and thought it might be interesting. I’ve always liked urban fantasy novels, so I figured I’d give it a shot. No pun intended.”

Yuri rolled his eyes again and waved his hand dismissively. “Okay, cool. So you like urban fantasy. Think you’d be up for a little bit of a hike?” Otabek nodded. “You have to swear on your life that you’ll never reveal my secret location to anyone.” He jabbed a finger in Otabek’s direction for emphasis, raising a brow in challenge.

“You have my word.” Otabek lifted his hand in some kind of salute. “Scout’s honor.”

“You were a Boy Scout?” Yuri scoffed.

“Nah, I hate camping. I quit after one week and told my dad I never wanted to go back.”

Yuri snorted. “Okay, well let’s get going. We have a bit of a trek to get there.”

He swung the tripod’s strap over one shoulder and checked to make sure he had everything he needed in his hip pouch. _One, two, three…_ He definitely had enough film, and probably wouldn’t end up using all of it in the end. 

They started off on a path that everyone who braved the ravine used, Yuri leading the way. It looked like little more than a deer trail, but it led to a large campfire area where people could drink and smoke weed without the cops getting called on them. Yuri was positive the school’s administration knew about it and just let them have their fun so long as nothing dangerous happened. 

Ten minutes into the trek, Yuri glanced over his shoulder at Otabek. “We’re turning off up here. Get ready for a bit of a scramble.”

Otabek silently nodded.They had been climbing steadily for a while, pushing through brambles and thick tree coverage, when he finally spoke up. “So, what’s this place you’re taking me to?”

“It’s one of those hidden gems. I honestly don’t know how many people have found it, it’s so far out of the normal route people take. Obviously _some_ people have found it, since it’s covered in graffiti, but it hasn’t been touched in the time I’ve been here. I come out here sometimes to think and work away from everyone else.”

“Thank you for sharing it with me, then,” Otabek said. “I promise I won’t tell anyone else about it.”

Yuri snorted. “Yeah, well, if you did, there’s not much I could do about it. I’ll be graduating at the end of the year anyway, so it’s not like I’ll be around much longer to enjoy it.”

“Oh, you’re a senior too?” Otabek seemed surprised, but Yuri didn’t blame him. He was small for his age and often got mistaken for a prospie high school student any time one of those weekends rolled around. 

“Yeah, I have an apprenticeship lined up with a photographer over in Philly after this. I’ve never been there but anything’s better than this backwoods, backwards-ass town, right?”

Yuri took a few more steps before he realized that Otabek wasn’t following behind him anymore and turned back to see what the other guy was doing. “Wait, seriously? I’m going to Temple for grad school after this. I just got my acceptance letter last week.”

Yuri raised a brow. “Small world, I guess. Let’s keep moving, we’re almost there.”

They turned around a large, old oak tree, and Yuri smiled at the audible gasp Otabek let out; it was Yuri’s favorite place in the whole campus. Although, he honestly didn’t know, strictly speaking, if they were even on campus property anymore. A waterfall cascaded down from the ravine above them into a small lake. The trees all around them were shedding their leaves, and there was a crispness in the air that just made Yuri want to sigh with pleasure.

“Welcome to the Glen. That’s what I started calling it back in my freshman year. I know it doesn’t make much sense.” On the opposite side of the lake from the waterfall was a wide rock ledge and a sheer cliff face with spray painted tags covering every square inch of space. “So you can see why I know people have been here before, but it’s been undisturbed this whole time. I even have a little camp setup here, for when I’m out too late and don’t want to make the trek back to my dorm room. I like listening to the crickets at night, and there aren’t any wild animals to worry about, really. Unless you count the crows, but they mostly stick to the campus itself for an easy food source.”

Yuri was rambling, he knew he was rambling, but he did it anyway. Yuri stopped and really _looked_ at Otabek in that moment. He was turning on his heel, gazing up and around with a sense of awe in his eyes. Yuri’s hand itched to snatch up his camera, and he was thankful he’d loaded a roll of film in it before making the trek out here. He quickly twisted the knobs, adjusting the aperture and shutter speed settings with practiced ease, and raised the camera to his eye. It only took him a moment to frame the shot. He snapped the photo, turned the knob to advance the film, shifted his settings to bracket, and shot again. In the second one, Otabek had shifted his weight and looked over his shoulder, surprise registering on his face, and Yuri could already tell that would be the one, if it came out right.

“Sorry, I couldn’t resist,” Yuri said, not really sorry.

“No, no, it’s all right. What would you like me to do?”

The pair spent the next several hours climbing around on rocks and up trees. Yuri, at one point, precariously perched atop a slippery boulder as Otabek waded out into the little lake near the waterfall, his jeans soaking through. 

They finished up just as the sun was beginning to set, and Otabek had shucked off his jeans to let them air dry. Yuri wasted no time stoking a little campfire in the ring he built years before, and they chatted into the evening about their classes and plans for after graduation. It was...nice. Yuri didn’t have many real friends, Mila the Witch of course being the exception. His stomach dropped a little when Otabek had to go; he had a detailed analysis to finish for his Advanced Music Theory course the next day. They slowly made their way back to the parking lot with the help of Yuri’s flashlight.

“I’ll send you the photos when they’re developed. Maybe you can actually have some shots with your face in them on Instagram sometime?” Yuri teased.

“If you’ve taken them, I’m sure they’ll be great. All my friends will be jealous.” Otabek flashed him a grin that left Yuri’s heart pounding as he swung one leg over his bike, settling in. “Get home safe, yeah? I’ll see you around.”

* * *

After that, Yuri and Otabek seemed to keep running into each other. It was like beforehand, they existed in each others' periphery, never quite in focus enough to be noticed, the edges blurred with the aperture settings. But now that they had met and spent an entire afternoon and evening together, they were drawn to one another. Yuri would be in the campus cafe, working on a philosophy paper, only to look up and see Otabek waiting at the register. Or skimming the library stacks for a book for his Later British Literature class, and there Otabek was, his leather jacket slung over the back of a computer chair. 

At first, Yuri was hesitant to strike up a conversation. After all, what would he say to him? _I can't stop thinking about you and how much you look like a stoic knight in a fairytale?_

But then weeks later, right as midterms rolled around, Yuri was walking down the hall of his dorm late at night, and he stopped short after looking up from his phone. Because there he was again; Otabek Altin, yawning, in his pajamas, and scratching a hand through his damp hair, clearly returning from the showers down the hall.

Otabek did a double-take when he spotted Yuri. His posture shifted from one of an exhausted college student to straight shouldered, a ghost of a smile on his face that lit up his eyes. Yuri's hands itched for his camera.

"Yuri! You live in Reiker Hall?"

Yuri mentally shook himself and gestured to the door Otabek was standing beside. "Room 307, right along with the most useless of roommates."

Otabek glanced at the door, and Yuri bit his lip to keep from cursing—he hadn't wiped the whiteboard clean, and JJ's latest demanding message was sprawled across it in jagged red letters, along with the shittiest of nicknames. ("GOING TO THE ΣΑΕ PARTY, DON'T WAIT UP, KITTEN!!!") 

Brow raised, Otabek said, "...'Kitten'?"

Yuri growled and shoved his hands deep into his hoodie pockets. "We were in school together, and it was a nickname I'd hoped to let die, but _unfortunately_ , JJ has a long memory and a shitty sense of humor. I tend to avoid our room at all costs and just go there to sleep."

Otabek nodded, his lips twitching as if he wanted to smile but was doing his best to hold it back. "Well, I guess I understand why I've never seen you in the dorms, if you're avoiding your roommate." He yawned, a hand flying up to cover his mouth. "Sorry, I should probably get to bed. Midterm in the morning. I'll see you around?"

"Oh, yeah, sure. Want to grab lunch after your exam?" Yuri winced, his shoulders tensing at his own words, and glanced hurriedly away to study his shoelaces.

"That sounds great. Meet you at the food court?"

Relief washed over Yuri and he glanced back up to Otabek. "Yeah, see you then."

* * *

Yuri and Otabek started hanging out more regularly, Yuri lamenting his Philosophy professor's lectures or JJ's latest shenanigans, Otabek lending a sympathetic ear. It was so natural, as if Yuri had known Otabek all his life. They talked seamlessly about anything that interested them, and Otabek spent more than one overnighter in the computer art studio with him, doing homework while Yuri edited photos. 

Yuri liked having him there. This bubble of warmth filled his chest at the knowledge of Otabek chugging away on his laptop, box-framed glasses perched low on his nose. 

( _“Swear on your grave you won’t tell a soul. I’ll lose my cool factor!” “_ Seriously _? Fine, I swear!”_ ) 

Weeks turned into months, and the weather turned cold. They started to take trips out to the Glen to get away from the stress of the semester coming to a close. They'd get the campfire roaring and roast s'mores and talk for hours, huddled together under a fleece blanket Yuri brought with him. 

They took turns roasting the s’mores, one holding the blanket wrapped tightly around them while the other froze his arm off to roast a marshmallow. The fire shone so brightly against the dark chill of the night, reflecting on Otabek’s wide-eyed glee as he bit down into the cookie sandwich.

“What are you doing for winter break?” Yuri asked, leaning his head against Otabek’s shoulder. 

Otabek’s arm wrapped around his shoulders, squeezing gently. “I’m not sure. I was thinking about heading back to visit my parents for a while, but a month is a _long_ time in the Altin household with my sisters home.”

“You have sisters?” Yuri asked, craning his neck to look up at Otabek’s face.

Otabek’s breath misted in the air as he exhaled a laugh. “Three. All older, all absolutely wonderful in every way, and all complete tyrants when they want to be. Which around me is basically always, since not only am I the youngest, I’m also the only guy.”

“I wouldn’t know how that is. I’m an only child. So do they gang up on you?” Yuri settled back down, getting more comfortable. His gaze settled on the dancing flames of the campfire, his eyelids drooping now with the effort of staying awake when he was so warm and comfortable by Otabek’s side.

“Yeah, but it’s not all that bad. Medina does this thing where she…”

Yuri nodded off on Otabek's shoulder as they talked and drifted awake once more to the brush of the other man's fingers against his cheek and along his jaw, as if trying to memorize it by touch. Yuri blinked blearily up to Otabek, the thrill of potential in his stomach that lasted only a moment before Otabek dipped his head down, his lips brushing softly against Yuri's. Yuri melted into the kiss, savoring it. And when they broke apart, their huffs of breath were clear in the cold evening air.

"Go out with me, Yura?"

Yuri's heart beat faster at the nickname, heat creeping up his throat to splash across his cheeks. "Yes." It was barely a whisper, nearly drowned out by the fire crackling next to them. "Now kiss me again."

* * *

There was only a month left of the semester, and the rush to the end of the semester left Otabek and Yuri with little time to themselves. They could only ever really be alone in the Glen because JJ was...well, _JJ_ , and Otabek's own roommate seemed perpetually holed up in their room. They touched constantly but were never able to do anything more, a fact that was starting to wear on Yuri. Every time they kissed lately, his cock would make itself known, and rubbing his clothed erection against Otabek's was never enough for him. 

There was only so much masturbation a guy could do in the dorm shower. Yuri had his standards, after all. Although those standards didn't extend to sending Otabek texts and photos about all the filthy things he wanted to do if they ever got to be alone together.

So the week before finals, when Yuri arrived back at his room late in the evening after drinking at the bar with Mila and Sara and found JJ's latest pronouncement of another ΣΑΕ party scrawled on their whiteboard, he pulled out his phone to snap a photo and sent it to Otabek.

_ > Asshole will be gone until at least 3am. Come over? ;) _

_ > Give me 2min. _

Yuri went into the room to tidy up. He shoved dirty clothes into his overflowing hamper in the closet and fidgeted with the general mess that came from barely living in his room, hurriedly scribbling a sock on the whiteboard outside with, “DON’T EVEN THINK ABOUT COMING IN, KING ASS!” underneath in bold green.

Otabek arrived exactly two minutes later, looking disheveled and delicious beyond words. Yuri pulled him into the room by the collar and slammed the door shut behind him, locking it hurriedly as he pressed kisses against Otabek's neck.

Of course, it was cold in the dorm room because Yuri’s damn roommate left the window open when he went to the party. But that was okay; the atmosphere would heat up soon enough. All the stares across the floor, all the small smiles and light touches on their way to classes when they passed each other across the quad, all their stolen moments had led them here. All of it accumulated into the shared moment behind a hastily closed door with a dent in it, that squeaked when it was moved. And when it didn't move.

Otabek smelled like bad decisions, a weird mix of chocolate and cheap alcohol, all too sweet and somehow salty at the same time. Yuri wasn’t much better off, but at least he didn’t have to smell himself. 

They tumbled across the room until they landed in bed, first Yuri, then Otabek. Nothing stood between them anymore, nothing but a flimsy amount of clothes and sweet, sweet promises of “after.” After the exams, after the party, after they finally confessed all their feelings. It was only them now and the sock that Yuri drew on his door. Trashy? Yes. But somehow, in their slightly intoxicated state, even that was romantic. 

Maybe it was desperation. The longing for one another that came with postponed meetings and stolen kisses. But nothing mattered anymore because their backs hit the mattress and they were onto each other in a heartbeat. Tongues and bites and kisses. Soft and gentle, wild and craving. They were the duality of men in two people becoming one. 

Clothes dropped, hands constantly on one another. Yuri was the first one naked, but only for a second. He pawed at his partner, his friend, trying desperately to convince him to take off his clothes and Otabek couldn’t get out of them fast enough. 

Back into the bed, into each other's arms, holding on and never letting go because everything was as easy as breathing when they tasted one another. Except breathing was hard, and their pants became labored because they were so hasty in their need that nothing else existed, not even oxygen. 

Otabek rolled onto his back and Yuri straddled him, powerful thighs squeezing his hips. Otabek was strong and young and beautiful and it was the easiest thing in the world for Yuri to lose himself in everything that made Otabek so uniquely him. 

Reaching up, Otabek’s fingers curled into Yuri’s locks, pulling him down for a kiss. Yuri sensed his hesitation, could tell Otabek wanted it to be slow, soft, loving, but that was far from what reality turned into. Hot, short bites, hands cupping and rubbing and skin being pressed so close, it almost hurt. Almost.

Tiny moans turned into grunting when they found a rhythm to stroke. But it wasn't enough. Yuri leaned back first, and although Otabek tried to chase him for a second, he let his head drop back the moment after.

"I want to feel you. All of you." It was a whine, a request, an order, all at once. And because Yuri had been waiting for longer than he cared to admit for this moment. He was ready for it. In his hurried preparations, he set the lube on the nightstand, condoms in the drawer, and there was nothing else they had to do all evening. Just hours and hours before JJ would return from his frat party.

With the same eagerness he had when taking pictures, Yuri reached behind himself and worked first one finger and soon a second one in. He spread them with practiced ease, but no experience could hide how flustered he was. Gasping, writhing, moaning, he worked himself into ecstasy on top of Otabek. Overwhelmed, Yuri pulled his fingers out in a rush and grabbed blindly for Otabek's hand, guiding him to replace Yuri's fingers with his own.

Otabek didn't hesitate; he pushed his fingers in, and fucked Yuri with them. Both men were gasping now, climbing steadily to their joint peak, but not before Otabek pulled his fingers back. His hand quickly wiped, Yuri helped Otabek put the condom on and apply lube, hasty in his deep, dark need.

Being filled was heaven. Otabek moaned too, one hand on Yuri's hips, the other in his hair. Yuri's name fell from his lips, again and again as he pushed all the way in. Yuri reached out, splaying his hand against the expanse of Otabek's chest as he shifted his weight, setting a frantic pace that hit him just so, his breath labored. Otabek reached up and stroked Yuri's cock, the rhythm based off of Yuri's own. He swirled his lube-coated thumb over the head of Yuri's erection, flicking with his thumbnail, and Yuri's building orgasm sizzled through him like an electric current through wire, sparking at all his nerve endings. His hips stuttered as he came, a tear escaping the corner of his eye to slip down his cheek and mingle with sweat.

Otabek didn't give Yuri a chance to breathe and he flipped him over. Lining himself up again, Otabek thrust back in, skin slapping hard against skin as he chased his own release. Yuri struggled to keep his eyes open as Otabek's brow furrowed in concentration. His breath hitched a second before he came, and he crashed down on Yuri, his arms giving out.

They lay there for a moment, breathless, Yuri running a hand along Otabek's back and humming contentedly.

"We’ve _got_ to do that again," Yuri proclaimed, startling a laugh out of Otabek, who propped himself up on one elbow to run lazy kisses along Yuri's collarbone and up his neck, ending with his lips.

"Give me at least a few minutes' break, and we'll see what we can do about that."

* * *

The Spring Senior Art Showcase came before Yuri could even blink. His hair tied back in a haphazard ponytail, he spent the better part of the weekend before the opening arranging and rearranging his portraits on the ground before his blank wall, never fully satisfied. Growling in frustration, he'd rushed up to the computer art studio to reprint the portrait he was most anxious about. The colors weren't right, it wasn't telling the story he needed it to, he was sure it wouldn't be enough...

The night of the opening, he stood before his exhibit, twisting the napkin anxiously in his hands as professors and other art students mingled, looking around at the various displays, the culmination of their four years' work. He glanced around; no Otabek yet. Of all the people that he wanted to see that evening, Otabek was the top of the list. Not his professors, who would deem him worthy as a photographer and guide his future career, not Mila or Sara, who waxed rhapsodically at the shots of them as urban fairies and gushed over his editing.

A throat cleared behind Yuri, and he glanced over his shoulder to find Otabek standing there, a glass of white wine in hand and a look of shock on his face.

"Yura, this is...amazing."

Yuri looked at the exhibit behind him, dozens of fantasy portraits of various sizes placed in organized disorder at all different levels around the central piece, a shot of Otabek himself, framed by the waterfall in the Glen, dark black wings exploding from his shoulders, a glowing crown floating mere inches above his head as he directed his hooded gaze at the viewer. The composite photo screamed strength, power, possibility.

Otabek had seen Yuri working on this piece, of course. He spent months agonizing over the details and the tone of the piece. But Otabek had never seen it like this, in its eight foot tall glory on a gallery wall.

"You like it?" Yuri asked, his voice timid.

Otabek wrapped his arms around Yuri in a warm embrace. "I love it," he murmured. 

Hugging him back, Yuri easily found his place against Otabek's chest. "I love you," Yuri said in a rush.

Otabek's breath hitched and he squeezed Yuri a little bit closer. "I love you too."


End file.
